Where does the time go?
Yes, well, I’ve been busy, and haven’t had time to blog for a while. I’ll try to fill in the gaps as best I can.
We booked early for Hutt Sounds again this year…almost as soon as they announced who the line-up would be. Yes, it’s possible to buy “early bird” tickets blind, without knowing who you’re going to see, but I was cautious. When they announced the line-up for the related Selwyn Sounds I was a little disheartened, as their headliner was Ronan Keating, who I have no particular desire to see. In past years, Selwyn, Auckland and Hutt have all had the same line-up…but this year, they’ve varied it, and the headliner is Tony Hadley, formerly of Spandau Ballet. Not a Keating to be seen! I booked the tickets.
We drove up to Upper Hutt early, with a plan to secure parking and go and see an exhibition of Japanese art at Whirinaki Whare Taonga beforehand. There was lots to admire, but I particularly liked this piece:
We lunched at the adjoining Dough Bakery café, then walked the short walk to Brewtown. Drizzle had set in in the morning, but we had rain gear with us and the forecast was for the weather to clear in the afternoon.
We needn’t have worried. This year, they’ve changed the format. Whereas in previous years we’ve taken our chances and sat outside in an open field, this year they’ve scaled it down somewhat and the whole of the audience is in the covered area – which previously had housed the food trucks. I don’t know why this was – maybe residents complaining about congestion? They hold several events at Brewtown, and I can see why it might be annoying if you live there; it’s right in a residential area.
We found a good spot, and settled in for the first act: Jan Hellriegel, a kiwi singer of the late 80s/early 90s. Never heard of her. She sang some songs, some with guitar, some with piano. Nothing about them inspired me to go out and investigate any further.
Next act: someone I’ve heard of! And way down the order in terms of who I know, but there are reasons for this; Lloyd Cole, Commotionless (as he has been for some time) playing a guitar set of some of his better-known songs for half an hour or so.
The next band out of the box were Mi-Sex, another Kiwi ensemble of the 80s. Lead singer Steve Gilpin died in a car crash in 1992, but has been replaced by Steve Balbi, an Australian musician (formerly of Noiseworks) since the band reformed in 2011. They released four albums in the 80s, and it seems a lot of people knew their work – it being a kiwi crowd, and Mi-sex were originally from Wellington. They provided a lot more energy than the two opening acts, and the crowd really started to get going. I know one song – Computer Games, which is on a compilation CD (yes, I still have CDs!) from the 80s. It was, I think, their biggest hit, so they naturally saved it to the end. Anyway, I have been inspired to investigate further and am awaiting the arrival of a greatest hits CD in the post (yes, I still have post!)
They were followed by another hi-energy group, Fun Lovin’ Criminals. They’re of a slightly later era, 90s rap-rock. They’re known for two major hits, The Fun-Lovin’ Criminal, which they opened with, and Scooby Snacks, noted for its frequent sampling of Quentin Tarantino movie dialogue – so much so that he sued, and won, a share of the royalties. They have, apparently, been successful with some other songs as well, and they provided an entertaining 50 minute set, finishing up with the aforementioned Scooby Snacks.
The next band on were When The Cat's Away, a successful (in New Zealand) girl band, again from the late 80s/early 90s, who were known for their cover versions of relatively unknown songs. Included in their set was Prince’s Let’s Go Crazy, to which they failed to do justice. I hadn’t heard any of their other songs, so took the opportunity to visit the food trucks at this point. Apparently, though, some people were here specifically for them, as when they finished their set, quite a few packed up and left!
And now, the moment we’ve been waiting for, the headline act! Tony Hadley took to the stage, and opened with…a Nina Simone number, Feeling Good. Nice song, but we’re here for the Spandau Ballet stuff, Tony! Fortunately he got on with it, and took us into To Cut A Long Story Short and Highly Strung, then several more of his hits. He plugged a couple of new songs (mediocre) and also included a cover of Queen’s Somebody To Love, which he shouldn’t have, really. He finished up with classics Gold and True, as you might expect. Overall a polished performance, lots of crowd participation, and yes, we know the words! That set list in full can be found here.
As usual, the show finished on the dot of 9:00pm, presumably in accordance with local ordinances, and we were back home by 10.
